Best DM Advice?

What is the best DMing advice you have ever received?

"Get your head out of your anus, boy. This isn't about you. It's never about you. It's about them. Never forget that the game is about them, or you loose them. Even if nothing changes at first, when they first realize that the game is about the DM and not the Players, you will loose them, slowly but surely."

Goes hand in hand with one other:

"The DM is a non-entity. He shouldn't enter into the picture. As soon as the players are thinking "Ok, the DM is trying to kill us" or "Ok, the DM wants us to do this thing", you've ruined the game. The players should never think in terms of "Ok, the DM...". The players should be thinking of their characters and the world around them, not their characters and the DM. The minute you've taken that away, the minute they start thinking of the DM as a concrete entity effecting the world, you've failed. You should be transparent... you are only there to facilitate the world. "

Bookmark this thread and read parts of it as time permits-

http://enworld.cyberstreet.com/showthread.php?threadid=47525

A good GM is one who takes joy in making others happy. You are not there to have fun, you are there to facilitate the fun of other people. If you do not find making other people happy fun you will be a bad GM.

Drawmack said:

A good GM is one who takes joy in making others happy. You are not there to have fun, you are there to facilitate the fun of other people. If you do not find making other people happy fun you will be a bad GM.

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Yeah, but that often goes hand in hand with "nobody else has fun if the DM doesn't."

Joshua Dyal said:

Yeah, but that often goes hand in hand with "nobody else has fun if the DM doesn't."

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The point is that if the GM enjoys making other happy then making them happy is what becomes his goal. If the gm is happy by making others happy then the gm will have fun in any type of game, as long as it makes the players happy.

Drawmack said:

The point is that if the GM enjoys making other happy then making them happy is what becomes his goal. If the gm is happy by making others happy then the gm will have fun in any type of game, as long as it makes the players happy.

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It's a very rare GM who's only thought is to make his players happy. Me personally, I have to enjoy myself first, and if I do, in general my players enjoy themselves. That doesn't mean I just get to do everything my way, certainly, but it does mean I have to feel somewhat invested in the game myself, and in the setting. Otherwise, I'm a lousy GM.

(1) Never assume that the players/PCs will do something.

(2) In case you do (1) anyway and turn out to be wrong, don't freak out. Run with whatever they did.

Joshua Dyal said:

It's a very rare GM who's only thought is to make his players happy. Me personally, I have to enjoy myself first, and if I do, in general my players enjoy themselves. That doesn't mean I just get to do everything my way, certainly, but it does mean I have to feel somewhat invested in the game myself, and in the setting. Otherwise, I'm a lousy GM.

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I think we're talking about slightly different things here.

When I create something, let's say an artifact for example, I am much more invested into that item then something that just comes from an adventure. Therefor my presentation of that item is better.

Example:
Artifact from the DMG: You find an ancient tome wrapped in human skin. You believe this to be the Book of Vile Darkness you've been looking for.

My own artifact: You spot a small decanter that looks mostly like a wine decanter. However there is a small silver placard on it marked with an arcane rune. Inside the decanter is a blue liquid that is bubbling. The top is plugged with a silver cap that has a goblin carved into it. You believe this may be the bottle of arcana you've been searching for.


This means that the players are more likely to enjoy something that I created over something that was created for me. Which appears to be the point you're hitting at. My point goes beyond this and back to when I was sitting down to create that item.

Normally when I sit down to create an item here is what I know.
What I want it to do:
How I want it to work:

With that information I attempt to create an item that makes the players say wow. If I can get a wow from my players then the creation time is worth it, if I do not then the creation time is not worth it.

For me the fun part of being a GM is when three months from now they are still talking about the adventure I'm running right now.

Tooting the Fiery Dragon Productions horn a little: check out this link for some good bits on GMing (and other game-related topics):

http://www.fierydragon.com/DB/DB.htm?ubb=forum;f=27

Then, by all means, stop by the FDP forums (there's a link to it at the page I noted above) and let us know what you think!!